The second tome of homilies of such matters as were promised, and entitled in…The second tome of homilees of such matters as were promised, and intituled in…

The bright sun of his eternal truth and light of his holy word, by the mists and black clouds of mens traditions being blemished and darkened, as by sundry most terrible earthquakes that happened about the same time, God signified, that the quiet estate of true religion, should by such idolatry be most horribly tossed and turmoiled. And here may you see what a gracious and virtuous lady this Irene was, how loving a niece to her husbands uncles, how kind a mother in law to her sons wife, how loving a daughter to her father in law, how natural a mother to her own son, and what a stout and valiant Captain the Bishops of Rome had of her, for the setting up and maintenance of their idols or images. Surely, they could not have found a meeter patron for the maintenance of such a matter, then this Irene, whose ambition and desire of rule was insatiable, ⟨p. 74⟩whose treason continually studied and wrought was most abominable, whose wicked and unnatural cruelty passed Medea & Progne, whose detestable parricides have ministered matter to Poets to write their horrible tragedies. And yet certain Historiographers, who do put in writing all these her horrible wickedness, for love they had to images, which she maintained, do praise her as a godly Empress, & as sent from God. Such is the blindness of false superstition, if it once take possession in a mans mind, that it will both declare the vices of wicked princes, & also commend them. But not long after, the said Irene being suspected to the princes and lords of Greece of treason, in alienating the Empire to Charles king of the Francons, and for practising a secrete marriage between herself and the said king, and being convicted of the same, was by the said Lords deposed and deprived again of the Empire, and carried into exile into the Island Lesbos, where she ended her lewd life.

The bright sunne of his eternall truth and lyght of his holy word, by the mistes and blacke cloudes of mens traditions being blemished and darkened, as by sūdry most terrible earthquakes that happened about the same tyme, God signified, that the quiet estate of true religion, should by such idolatrie be most horribly tossed and turmoyled. And here may you see what a gratious and vertuous lady this Hyrene was, how louing a neece to her husbandes vncles, how kind a mother in lawe to her sonnes wyfe, howe louing a daughter to her father in lawe, how naturall a mother to her owne sonne, and what a stoute and valiaunt Capitaine the Bishoppes of Rome had of her, for the setting vp and maintenaunce of their idols or images. Surely, they coulde not haue founde a meeter patrone for the maintenaunce of suche a matter, then this Hyrene, whose ambition and desyre of rule was insatiable,